1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, such as a digital camcorder, a camera, etc., a reproduction apparatus, recording and reproduction methods, and a recording medium storing a computer program for executing the methods. More particularly, the present invention relates to a recording apparatus for more precisely correcting a hand tremble in response to an electronic hand tremble correction when an image is recorded, a reproduction apparatus, recording and reproduction methods, and a recording medium storing a computer program for executing the methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an image capturing device capable of recording motion pictures, such as a video camera, performs predetermined image processing (predetermined image developing processing) on signals output from each of pixels of an image sensor, such as a charge-coupled device (CCD), performs compression in a format, such as the motion picture experts group (MPEG)-2, the motion joint photographic experts group (JPEG), etc., and records image data to a storage medium, such as a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a digital versatile disc (DVD).
Image processing includes white balance control, exposure control, etc. Also, when electronic hand tremble corrected images are recorded, an extracting location of data is determined so as to extract data from part of an image sensor. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-33291 discloses a technique of automatically trimming raw image data in view of a subject by extracting the subject when an image is photographed. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-173854 discloses a technique of automatically trimming raw image data in view of a subject when an image is photographed, developing the trimmed data, and compressing the developed data.
Generally, as compression is performed after image processing, quality of images recorded and reproduced decreases as compared to that of images prior to compression. Therefore, certain image capturing devices, such as digital cameras, record signals output from image sensors in the raw format without compression. However, data quantity to be processed increases when motion pictures are recorded in the raw format in an image capturing device, such as a camcorder. Thus, it is common to preserve and use compressed images for operations, such as image signal processing, or reproduction in an image capturing device.
When electronic hand tremble corrected images are recorded, an extracting location of data is determined so as to extract data from part of an image sensor based on the output of an accelerometer. However, since the accuracy of the determination process depends on a limited operation circuit, such as a CPU included in image capturing devices, the capabilities of device may be limited, resulting in no appropriate correction to the hand tremble effect. When motion pictures are recorded, since information necessary for the electronic hand tremble correction involves time variations, it is impossible to be completely consistent with the temporal relations between the accelerometer and photographed images in view of the operation circuit of image capturing devices.